Hot German Potato Salad and My Christmas Menus
What are you all serving for Christmas? I mentioned earlier this week that I’m hosting both sides of the family. The Mr.’s family on the 23rd and my family on the 24th. I thought it would be fun to share the menus with you along with my Grandma’s Hot German Potato Salad Recipe.
First up on the 23rd, the Mr. has decided to take over the protein for me and is planning to roast a beef tenderloin. He recently did an Iron Chef style cooking challenge as a team building activity at work and learned how to make a demi-glace sauce (he tells me that his cuisine reigned supreme in kitchen stadium that day – easy Bobby Flay). On a side note, does anyone remember the original Japanese Iron Chef from 15 or 20 years ago? Wow, the Mr. and I loved watching late night Iron Chef episodes with goofy secret ingredients, the eccentric chairman and poorly dubbed voiceover. Ah-lay Cuisine! Anyway, I’m handing the reigns over to the Mr. for Christmas party number one, and if it’s good (mainly if he can remember how to make it, ha) I’ll post the recipe soon!
I’m trying this cheesy cauliflower gratin dish that Michael from Inspired by Charm shared on his blog. It looks amazing!
I also plan on making twice baked potatoes because I can make these a day ahead and just pop them in the oven. I make a million different variations of them, but here is a recipe I’ve made in the past.
I’ll round things out with roasted asparagus and this apple pecan blue cheese salad from the Pioneer Woman.
My sister in law is in charge of dessert, so that will be a welcome surprise, but I love this caramel apple cake I posted a long time ago, so excuse the photos ;)
Christmas eve is a bit trickier. My brother’s kids have a few different food allergies (eggs, peanuts, and gluten) so I have to be a little more thoughtful with this menu. We usually do a ham on Christmas, and thankfully Honey Baked Ham is gluten free and is simple to heat and serve, so that’s one thing easy to knock off my list.
Our family is part german, so my Grandma’s hot German potato salad is always a fave on the menu. This does contain eggs and flour, but my niece and nephew don’t like potatoes, so we are safe there. I’ll give you the real deal recipe because I just realized my mom makes it a bit different than the recipe she gave me, sneaky, sneaky…
Also, let me just say that I realize this is not the most attractive looking recipe (especially not attractive when Charlie hops on the table and helps himself to the bacon that I ever so carefully sprinkled on the top!), but it is delicious! Think potatoes, bacon and hardboiled eggs with a tangy hot bacon dressing.
Hot German Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 6 medium potatoes cubed and boiled til fork tender
- 1/4 C parsley
- 1/3 C diced onion
- 8 slices of bacon fried and crumbled - save bacon fat
- 4 tbsp bacon fat
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2/3 C Vinegar
- 1 1/3 C Water
- 4 tsp sugar
- 3 tsp salt
- 3 hard boiled eggs chopped
Instructions
- Gently toss boiled potatoes, parsley, onion, hard boiled eggs, and bacon together.
- In a saute pan whisk reserved bacon fat with flour until smooth.
- Slowly whisk vinegar and water in.
- Add sugar and salt.
- Stir continuously until thickened.
- Pour over potato mixture. You may only use 2/3 of the sauce or use it all depending on how saucy you like your potato salad. If I'm making this ahead of time and reheating, I reserve some of the sauce to add after warming. It tends to absorb all the sauce as it reheats and can become dry.
Spiced apples are always a good kid friendly accompaniment to this meal. I just throw sliced apples, cinnamon and a bit of sugar in a crockpot and let them go. Easy and allergy friendly. I’ll saute some green beans in butter and buy some gluten free and regular rolls to serve along side.
An egg free, nut free, gluten free dessert can be a tricky one, so we alway opt for peppermint ice cream with homemade hot fudge on top!
So to recap –
Christmas Eve
Honey Baked Ham
German Potato Salad
Spiced Apples
Green Beans
Salad
Rolls
Peppermint Hot Fudge Sundaes
Christmas on the 23rd
Filet Mignon with Demi Glace sauce
Cherry Apple Blue Cheese Salad
Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin
Roasted Asparagus
Twice Baked Potatoes
Bread
Caramel Apple Pecan Cake
Oh and not to be forgotten, for our own little family I make homemade cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning breakfast every year, it’s my favorite tradition! Happy Weekend!
This looks very tasty and easy to make. Thanks for sharing.
Two feasts in two days! Tell me you send your guests home with the leftovers. Thanks for sharing the potato salad :)
You are welcome Lauren!
I love everything!!! Also I’m trying to find a link near the “sharing is caring” so I can pin this post but for some reason I can’t find it? Might be my phone or lack of technical skills, lol. ;-)
Hey Meredith, my sharing app wasn’t working right sorry about that! It should be fixed down, thanks for the heads up :)
What type of vinegar is in the potato salad recipe?
Just plain white vinegar thanks Gayle!
Again, thanks for the inspiration! That potato salad recipe is such a tradition in the St. Louis German “club” (meaning, everyone who hails from the originals who landed here ages ago), and it’s interesting how little it has strayed from those kitchens. And it works in every holiday!
Hope the days after the whirlwind of 2 parties in a row are calm, peaceful and lovely! Merry Christmas, one and all.
Thank so much Lisa! I love hearing that other people make this too! It’s a Christmas and Easter staple at our house :)
My mouth is watering. Sounds amazing!!!
I’m excited to have everyone over!
I love reading about what people eat for the holidays! That potato salad sounds especially good but mostly thank you for the Pioneer Woman salad link because I said I’d bring a salad with candied pecans to book club tomorrow. Bingo!
Oh this is my favorite salad to bring to dinner, it’s always a hit!
This salad (German Potatoe) was our family favorite for years! I will have to dig out the family recipe, but I think we used apple cider vinegar.
Beautiful blog-
Best,
Carrie
Oh I’m sure that would be good too!
I’m tempted to try my hand at homemade cinnamon rolls for Christmas too, have a recipe you love?
Hey Katie, I can’t find the exact recipe online at the moment but google cinnamon roll vanilla pudding. I use one that has a package of vanilla pudding in it and they are always so soft and delicious!
LOVE your delicious and pretty menus for both dinners. I’m especially anxious to try the cauliflower gratin. But ***wink*** I haven’t received my invitation yet!
Haha! Hope you have a great holiday season Dori!
Yum!!!! It all sounds so good! You are an amazing hostess and I cannot wait to enjoy these delicious dishes with my much loved family! ❤️❤️
We are excited to see you all too!
It all sounds delicious, Kelly! I hail from Wisconsin and I, too, make my Grandma’s German potato salad from the very early 1900s. So, how was the trip at thanksgiving? You haven’t mentioned it…
Oh fun, so glad we aren’t the only ones who enjoy this dish! I plan on doing a blog post on our trip soon, it was great thanks!
This is the only potato salad I make. Also my grandmothers recipe. Living in the south it’s all about the Mayo/mustard potato salad. I just can’t even though it is my husbands favorite! This potato salad is so worth the time and effort to make it.
Yes I agree, so much better than a mayo based one! My husband had never had it before we were married.
There are many ways creating a potato salad it depends on the state you are living in.
Here in the north (Niedersachsen) we made this salad with cold potatos from boiled or baked ones, mayonaise, bacon, cucumbers, salt and pepper. So, it’s a little tart taste.
In the south it’s more the way from your grannys’ recipe. And it’s often served with a sweet taste from red onions.
Yum that sounds delicious too!